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Timeline

ACSTO only requires one application per school year, and issues scholarship awards three times per year. Our year begins in April when applications are available for the upcoming school year and finishes when that school year ends.

When you send applications, we use it until the end of the current school year. Once a school year is done over the summer, all applications expire, regardless of when they were received, and you must send in a brand new application for every student for the upcoming school year (except for upcoming Kindergarteners, we keep those current for you!).

When you submit an application, whether by mail, fax, or online, ACSTO will issue a postcard back in the mail to confirm that we received it. If you tried to send an application, but have not received a postcard within a week or two, give us a call.

This is the official donation deadline for the previous calendar year for our tax credit law, so donors must have donations called in, done online, or postmarked by midnight in order to claim credit for the previous year. There are no extensions.

May 31 - Application deadline

This is the first award cycle for the new school year, so everyone needs to send in a new application by this time every year. If you send an application now, you don't have to apply again until this time next year.

June 6 - Donation Deadline

Deadline for donations to be included in the Summer Award Cycle.

June - Original Scholarship Awards

Decisions for the Original tax credit scholarship awards are make in late June (exact date varies). Scholarships awarded during this distribution can only be used for the upcoming school year. Award checks sent to schools and parents notified by June 30th.

July- Overflow Scholarship Awards

Decisions for the Overflow/PLUS awards are made by mid-late July (exact date varies). Scholarships awarded during this distribution can only be used for the upcoming school year. Award checks sent to schools and parents notified by July 31st.

Third chance to submit a scholarship application for those who didn't apply yet for this school year (application will still expire over the summer).

March 6 - Donation Deadline

Deadline for donations to be included in the Spring Award Cycle.

March - Original Scholarship Awards

Decisions for the Original tax credit scholarship awards are made in late March (exact date varies). Scholarships awarded during this distribution can be used for the current or the upcoming school year. Award checks sent to schools and parents notified by March 31st.

April - Overflow Scholarship Awards

Decisions for the Overflow/PLUS tax credit scholarship awards are made in late April-early May (exact date varies). Scholarships awarded during this distribution can be used for the current or the upcoming school year. Award checks sent to schools and parents notified by May 15th.

Important Extras

Starting School Next Year?

This is the perfect time to begin this program! If your child will be attending K-12th grade at a Christian private school for the first time in the fall, you may apply for a scholarshipduring the winter prior to when your child starts at the private school. Send in your application to ACSTO between December 1 and February 28, and any scholarships awarded to your child in the March award cycle can be used for the upcoming school year. We will send the money to the school once you start paying tuition in the summer/fall. A donor is welcome to donateto ACSTO and recommend your child for a scholarship up to one year before your child begins K-12th grade.

What does the Law Mean by Kindergarten?

We understand that to be eligible for a scholarship based on the Private School Tuition Tax Credit Law, the child must be attending a Kindergarten that is just before 1st grade (i.e.: the intention of the Kindergarten is to prepare students to graduate into 1st grade for the next school year). Pre-K, K1-K4, playgroups, kinder-care, and/or intermediary summer school does not qualify. There are exceptions for Pre-K handicapped children spelled out in A.R.S. 43-1601. Call ACSTO for details regarding pre-K students with disabilities.

State regulations do not allow us to 'bank' money for children who are too young to qualify. The earliest you can start raising donations for your child is one year prior to attendance at a private school for grades K-12. Anything received earlier than that will be considered for other children at that school.

ACSTO Blog

ACSTO: Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization

Notice: A school tuition organization cannot award, restrict, or reserve scholarships solely on the basis of a donor’s recommendation. A taxpayer may not claim a tax credit if the taxpayer agrees to swap donations with another taxpayer to benefit either taxpayer’s own dependent. A.R.S. 43-1603 (C)